The Long Road Home
by MaddyTheFangirl
Summary: The discoveries of one sentry change the course of one banished prince. Now a criminal on the run, Prince Zuko is without a ship, without a crew, without an uncle and without a hope. He is now left with no other path, but to reluctantly seek refuge with a trio of children. The road is rough and unyielding, but he will trugde on. Begins from Book 1, Episode 13.
1. The Blue Spirit

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

As the carefully shot Yuyan arrow made contact with its target, Admiral Zhao nodded down to a tall, rather skeletal looking sentry waiting patiently outside the outer wall, ordering him to run ahead of the other armed men. The man immediately stretched his long gangly legs and sprinted toward the fallen thief and his captive.

Though it may not appear possible from his gaunt appearance, Shen Ting was impeccably fast. He believed this was unquestionably due to being pursued by his menacing and much beefier elder brothers as a child for years on end. He would have to thank them once they were released from prison.

Shen Ting reached the immense dust cloud after a half a minute of nonstop running along the dusty road. His feet ached inside his pointed black boots and begged to be at rest. He ignored his pain and quietly stepped through the dust cloud.

At first all he could make out through the dirt fog, was an exceptionally terrified looking Avatar. The airbender's gray eyes were the size of saucers and were staring fixedly at the unconscious Blue Spirit. Shen Ting blinked and followed the Avatar's gaze.

His mouth hung agape in a quite undignified manor.

Sprawled on the dirt road was none other than the banished Prince Zuko himself. His noble facial features, twisted in a look of pain and the angry red burn over his left eye exposing his identity. A foot away from the incapacitated Prince was the blue and white mask, its eternal smile grinning demonically up at Shen Ting.

Shen Ting only halted for a moment before leaping at the Avatar and Prince. As Shen Ting reached for the Avatar's collar, the bald boy looked up and met his gaze and jumped in fright. The Air Nomad boy took hold of Prince Zuko and his scattered belongings and scurried away, so swiftly and gracefully he appeared to simply glide alongside the piercingly icy winter breeze.

Shen Ting cursed to himself and attempted to follow the fleeting pair, however his aching feet and knees had a different idea. His knobbly knees buckled and Shen Ting fell flat on his face into the dirt.

Shen Ting coughed dust out of his lungs and lifted his head. He had to do something or he would most likely lose his head with such a failure.

A sharp pain in his side reminded him of the steel dagger, now cutting through its leather sheath and breaking his skin.

Shen Ting quickly removed a small dagger from the sheath and did his best to aim it at the retreating Avatar, not bothering to take heed to Admiral Zhao's command to capture the boy alive. After throwing with all the strength he could muster, he remained on the ground in silence, listening for the soft thud of the dagger falling to the ground. When none came he smiled.

Shen Ting slowly pushed himself off the ground. For a moment he simply stood on the dirt path, smiling stupidly at his triumph. He turned and sprinted toward the base.

OoOoOo

Of all the running Aang had done that day he could honestly say that running away from the Fire Nation base and a the thick forest while a stocky teenage prince lay sprawled on his back, drooling on his shoulder was the most tiring thing he'd done all day.

The sun was just beginning to rise as Aang decided he had made enough distance from the base. He sighed in relief at the prospect of having his back free once more and taking some time to rest while he waited for Zuko to wake up. He set Zuko on a pile of leaves beside one of the towering trees.

The size of his eyes multiplied tenfold.

Sticking out of the unconscious firebender's side was the hilt of a dagger. How had he not noticed that? Aang rushed over to Zuko, his eyes unable to leave the seeping blood emitting from the wound. He ripped the sleek black shirt around the wound. His eyes quickly roamed the pierced flesh. This did not look good at all.

Aang recoiled as dark blood ran across his hands. He abruptly sat up and rubbed the blood off on his ragged shirt. He did not remove the blade as to not cause Zuko to lose even more blood, but tried to awaken him.

"Zuko, Can you hear me?" Aang asked grabbing hold of the collar of Zuko's black shirt and shaking him.

When no response came Aang began to panic. He had to get Zuko to a healer. Where could Aang find one of those that would be close enough for him to get to before Zuko…..Well he'd prefer not to jump to conclusions.

There was that crazy herbalist he had visited. Perhaps Zuko could be patched up in time if she didn't doddle. Aang had no doubt in his mind that she would, but he had to try.

To his sore body's displeasure Aang pulled Zuko off of the pile of dry leaves and onto his back and made no hesitation before taking off and continued to run. He hoped he didn't get lost.

OoOoOo

Despite of what most people suspected Kaiku was not crazy. She simply put the needs of her beloved cat Miyuki before any of her demanding patients. Miyuki after all was her only companion after her four sisters had passed away. There is nothing crazy about loving her cat.

She had been sitting in her favorite chair beside the fireplace, weaving grass from her front lawn into a new hat for Miyuki in the late hours of night when she heard the sound of running footsteps reaching closer and closer to her door. She made no move from her work to greet her patient.

When she heard the ragged and tired voice of the young Avatar behind her back, Kaiku wasn't really surprised. The boy was no doubt here to pester her to make a 'proper medicine' since frozen frogs were not his friend's cup of tea. However she was surprised when she heard the words he spoke.

"Can you heal stab wounds?"

She quickly stood up from her chair and turned to face the voice, the woven grass hat still in her hands.

What she saw before made her sick to her stomach. The Avatar was standing before her, his clothes torn and his hands blood stained. He looked fatigued and close to collapsing. But the sight that worried her is the darkly clothed young man lying at the feet of the bald boy.

He was out cold, an expression of agony residing on his face. His torn shirt allowed Kaiku to easily see the wound. A leather hilt of a dagger had punctured his side and had no doubt caused the blue tint of the skin surrounding the wound.

The unfinished hat fell to the ground.

OoOoOo

The run back to Admiral Zhao's base took much longer due to the achiness in Shen Ting's legs. His throbbing feet pounded in time with his heart as he reached the towering building.

The expression on the greasy haired Admiral's face was murderous.

"Admiral, Admiral!" Shen Ting shouted, running through the halls.

Zhao turned his head from the balcony where he had been watching his troops chase after the Avatar Shen Ting trembled under the intimidating frown he received, "What is it, boy?"

"The Avatar has escaped with the thief."

Zhao's golden eyes narrowed, "I thought you were the fastest of the troop."

Shen Ting hands were quivering, "I am Sir. I just…I just."

"Spit it out boy!" Zhao shouted.

Shen Ting swallowed, "I was just in shock upon finding out the thief's identity."

Shen Ting sighed in relief as Zhao's golden slits of eyes widened and his expression became a fraction less threatening, "Who was the thief, boy?"

"Prince Zuko, Sir," he said unfalteringly.

Zhao's livid expression had disappeared entirely. On the contrary he smiled. The admiral did not have what Shen Ting would call a pleasant smile. Perhaps at one time in his life he did but the smile he cast the frightened sentry was cold and conniving. The smile terrified Shen Ting far more than his expressions of fury. He hoped Zhao would stop before he unintentionally summoned all the demons of the spirit world to rise from the ground and eat their flesh.

"Is that so?" He turned his head to the heavily robed old man sitting in at a metal desk on the other side of the room, "Tao."

Tao hurriedly perked his head up from whatever he had been writing, his large hat shaking and threatening to fall off, "Yes Sir?"

"Have a messenger hawk ready to be sent to the Firelord. I have some news he might find intriguing."

OOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Note:**

**Hello there, reader! Thank you so much for reading the very first chapter of my very first fanfiction! I already have the second chapter half written so I should be updating soon. It would mean a lot to me if you would review and tell me how I'm doing, especially if you have some criticism! I promise I won't bite.**

**Until next time lovely readers!**

**-MaddyTheFangirl **


	2. The Ruins of Taku

**Disclaimer: Only in my dreams do I own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**Holy Crapmuffins! Thank you so much for following, favoriting, and reviewing! Honestly I started writing this a while ago and nearly tossed it, but just by your sweet reviews I am inspired again! *hugs ridiculously tight***

**Also I am currently looking for a Beta. So if you're a Beta, who's interested or you have some good Beta recommendations, pretty please send me a PM! **

**And now I give you chapter two of The Long Way Home!**

The moment Zuko opened his eyelids to find himself lying half naked on a rough cot in the middle of a completely unfamiliar room, surrounded by greenery and trees growing out of the stone floorboards, he knew something was terribly wrong .

His suspicion was confirmed when the face of the Avatar appeared inches above him.

"Great! You're finally awake!" he said far too cheerfully for the situation.

As it is habitual whenever he is within range of the Avatar, Zuko lunged to grab hold of the boy.

He cried out as he felt a sharp pain on the far left side of his abdomen. The Avatar's eyes widened and he put a hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"Don't move. Your stab injury is still mending."

_Stab injury?! _He looked down and eyed his bare stomach, the source of the sharp pain. His entire torso was wrapped in blood stained white bandages. Blood stained?!

"What in Agni's name is going on here?!"

"Watch your language, young man," said a creaking voice. He slowly turned his head as to not cause himself anymore pain and caught sight of a wizened old women clad entirely in green walking towards them, holding a wooden cup, "You'll tarnish Miyuki's ears."

Zuko furrowed his brow, "Who?"

"Don't ask," the Avatar said as the white haired woman opened her mouth to speak.

The woman had stepped beside the cot and shoved the wooden cup into his face, "Drink this," she demanded.

Zuko took one glance at the wooden cup made an affronted face at the woman. Who did this woman think she was to order him, Crown Prince of the Fire nation to drink whatever the shabby cup contained?

"Speak to your betters with respect, peasant."

To his surprise the aged woman merely smiled, exposing her pink gums, "You remind me of that man who passed by here a few days ago. He had the hottest temper and ordered me to leave to search for this boy," she gestured toward the Avatar, who looked jaded at the woman's babbling, evidently it was not a rare occasion for her to begin a topic erratically, "and some Prince. Now the Avatar told me not to say that you were here while he went to give his friends some frozen frogs and I don't see why I should tell-"

Zuko cut her off and turned to the Avatar, "Who is this man looking for me?" he demanded.

The Avatar opened his mouth to speak but his words were drowned out by the continued prattle of the woman.

"Then I told the grouchy Admiral that I didn't care who he was this was my herbarium and I can let in who I want. Then he got pushy and forced his troops into my home so I hid you in Miyuki's playpen…."

At this point Zuko's amber eyes widened and he once more tried to speak over the woman. When she did not cease to talking her nonsense, the little patience Zuko had on a regular basis evaporated.

"Will you shut your mouth?! No one has any desire to listen to your nonsense!"

Zuko had gotten what he desired, but the disapproving look he received from the woman was so alike his grandmother's he shivered and impulsively straightened his posture. Zuko shook off the memory of his reproachful grandmother and reached forward to grab the Avatar's yellow collar, pulling him toward the cot.

"If you value your life, you will tell me exactly what happened."

OoOoOo

Katara yawned as she stretched her arms and sat up in her sleeping bag. She smiled at the restored energy as she moved all the useless items Momo had brought them off her lap. Disgusting as those frogs may have been, they had certainly cured her infection.

Beside her, Sokka was still sleeping undisturbed, his mouth hanging agape and getting a pool of drool on his sleeping bag. She turned her head to greet Aang but his spot on Appa was occupied by a large pile of dead mice caught by Momo. Clearly Aang was still out helping the herbalist, who had given them the frogs, care for a patient.

She shrugged and picked up her water-skin. Before stepping out to walk to the river she left a note for Sokka so he wouldn't worry about her.

It was the first clear morning, since they came to the ruins of Taku. Not a single rain cloud in the sky. It was a nice change after the several days of nonstop rain, but Katara had to admit she would miss it while it was gone.

She quickly trod on the crumbling stone paths, careful not to slip on the large puddles left from last night's storm. Behind her she heard soft, almost inaudible footsteps.

Katara whipped her head around and shrieked.

OoOoOo

Aang slowly backed away from Zuko, who was staring at the wanted poster with absolute incredulity. Aang was surprised to see that the prince's expression didn't have a trace of anger. His face looked merely disbelieving and a trace of what Aang supposed was dejection. But he blinked and his expression returned to its standard stoniness. Zuko rather roughly shoved the paper into Aang's hands.

"This is clearly a forgery. It is too improbable for the crown prince to be a wanted criminal."

"But it has the Firelord's seal on it," protested Aang.

"It is a forgery!" he insisted; "Now if we're done here, I'm thirsty."

The herbalist, Kaiku stepped forward with the wooden cup Zuko had outright refused, "Here," she said thrusting the cup into his hands.

The Fire Prince made an exceptionally un-princely face at the green chunky liquid, but slowly nodded. He inhaled deeply and engulfed the remedy in one swallow. Aang bit his lip to prevent himself from bursting into laughter at Zuko's expression upon swallowing the entire cup.

"Get me some water to get that revolting muck out of my mouth."

The avatar nodded, his lips twitching as to suppress the still present urge to laugh. He turned and stepped out of the small herbarium, leaving Zuko alone with Kaiku. He held the wooden cup in his hands out toward her.

"Take this away."

The old woman merely stood there, her green eyes, surprisingly sharp for her age surveying him rather amusedly. Zuko raised his single eyebrow.

"Well?"

To his utter surprise the Kaiku smirked. She took the wooden cup and turned her back on him to leave the room.

"I'm going to the market to fetch some plum seeds," she turned her head to face him a smirk still residing on her face, "Try not to infect Miyuki with your arrogance."

With that she closed the back door and was out of sight.

Zuko made a move to get out of bed and give that woman a piece of his mind. Once again the sharp pain in his abdomen reminded him of his injury. He winced and glared at his bandaged torso.

He was not accustomed to being as helpless as he felt at that moment. He might not be the best fighter but somehow he had the luck to be able to walk out of a fight with only an assortment of bruises, scratches and burns.

His amber eyes roamed the room. The scroll lying unfurled on the ragged bedside table, imprinted with his name and face caught his eye. For a moment he simply stared at the words that he _knew_ his father had proclaimed.

Everything he had feared since being sent on a hopeless mission at age thirteen was written on this simple scroll in front of him. Everything had been taken from him, his mission, his birthright, the little honor he had left. Now he was no longer 'The banished Prince', but 'The traitor Prince'. He was considered a criminal for trying to retrieve the Avatar for his father.

Zhao must have taken over the mission by now, along with his ship, his crew, and…Uncle. That greasy haired, monkey faced, mutton chopped, Admiral, had taken all that Zuko had. He should've killed him when he had the chance.

The small voice in the back of his head, which sounded remarkably like his uncle chuckled, _"But you are not a killer, Prince Zuko."_

"I know," Zuko said in a hollow voice, "Maybe things wouldn't have ended this way if I was."

He paused. He was talking to himself, one of the first signs of the mentally unstable. He shook his head and made an effort to get himself out of bed.

OoOoOo

Katara tripped and fell to the ground, as she tried to evade the arrow flying past her ear. She hastily crawled backward as to escape the half dozen uniformed men approaching her, desperately looking for some source of water.

She was stopped when half a dozen arrows pinned her sleeves to the ground.

Katara looked up in horror. Through her travels she had come across dangerous and intimidating foes, but these archers, all with an identical red face, swiftly approaching her without a sound.

It was the scariest thing she'd ever seen in her life.

OoOoOo

Aang froze when he heard it.

A bloodcurdling scream amidst the peaceful ruins.

"Katara,"

There was a faint splash of a canteen falling into a river, as Aang ran.

OoOoOo

"Well aren't you a pretty little thing."

What was it with Fire nation men and tying people to trees? Was it a tradition in their barbaric country to tie captives to the nearest tree?

Katara scowled up at the sideburned man in front of her.

"Let me go," Katara demanded.

Zhao chuckled. He reached out and lifted her chin up, "Now, waterbender. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Tell me, where is the Avatar?"

Katara spat on his face.

Zhao dropped Katara's chin and wiped his face, a disgruntled expression residing on his face.

"You're either remarkably brave or remarkably stupid, waterbender," to Katara's dismay the Admiral smiled, "Prince Zuko may be spineless enough not to punish his prisoners, but I am not so merciful"

He clicked his fingers, smirking deviously at Katara. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

Then she smelled it.

The scent of burning hair.

She quickly jerked her head behind her to see her braid slowly burning away, inch, by inch, by inch.

Her head was roughly pulled back as Zhao took hold of her hair loopies, "Tell me what I want, waterbender!"

"What might that be, Zhao?" said a voice above them.

Zhao froze. He dropped Katara's braid and jerked his head up to see Aang, perched on high branch of the tree Katara was tied to.

"Seize the Avatar!" Zhao shouted, pointing up into the tree.

Aang swooped, almost birdlike out of the tree as a dozen arrows flew his way. He kept a firm hold on his orange glider as he flew away. The Yuyan archers seemed to disappear out of thin air as they as they chased him, Zhao following behind at a much slower pace.

Katara's fingers desperately prod at the rope binding her wrists, as she watched Aang and the Fire Nation troop disappear.

She couldn't let Aang be captured. He was the last hope for an end to this war. They had come so far; she couldn't let it all be wasted because she had been careless.

She stopped abruptly when she heard a familiar chitter.

"Momo!"

The flying lemur was gilding steadily down the tree, landing promptly on Katara's head. He plopped down onto her shoulder and crawled down her back, toward her tied wrists. Momo rested his sharp teeth on the rope and began to nibble the rope away.

As her wrists were freed she smiled gratefully at Momo. She ran in the direction the Zhao and his archers had taken off, Momo following behind.

OoOoOo

Aang laughed; as he watched Zhao and the Yuyan archers try frantically to escape the deep, sticky swamp they had fallen into.

As threatening as the archers may be, now that their bows and arrows had fallen into the depths of bog they better resembled the jesters that came to visit the Southern Air Temple from time to time.

He sat on a large stone, just outside the swamp's edge. He frowned as Zhao began to shout at the top of his lungs, in language so coarse it made Aang's ears redden.

Zhao was now just a few feet away from the stone now. Aang held his hand out over the murky liquid and froze it.

Aang took hold of his glider and soared upward and back toward Katara's tree, trying to block out the sound of Zhao's cursing.

OoOoOo

Zuko was burning a plum tree.

It was the first time he accidentally bended in the last six years.

The tall tree, growing through the tiles of the herbarium, was completely ablaze, giving off a brilliant orange.

Zuko just stood in front of the burning tree, staring into the bright flames. Not caring what the fire would destroy. Nothing mattered anymore. Not this hut, not the Avatar, not the white cat at his feet, not his own life. He had already lost everything else, what difference was losing his life.

OoOoOo

Katara thanked the spirits as the orange blur of Aang's glider came into view.

"Aang!"

Aang landed in front of Katara, a worried expression plastered on his face, "We need to hurry. Zhao and his men are occupied right now but they won't be for long. C'mon," he said grabbing her arm, "We need to get to the herbarium."

Katara blinked, "Why?"

"Zhao's also after one of the patients. I can't leave them to be captured."

Katara nodded. Aang took her hand and pulled her into a run.

By the time they reached a woven grass hut, that she assumed was the herbarium, Katara was almost positive that she was going to pass out.

As she opened the door she made dozens of assumptions and expectations about what the patient was like.

What she did not expect to see was a large plum tree in the center of the hut, its leaves and branches aflame or to see Prince Zuko standing stiffly before it.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

**Author's Note #2: I hope you can see from this chapter how much I need a Beta. But honestly please send me a PM if you have any good Beta recs!**

**Hugs and Butterfly kisses!**

**-MaddyTheFangirl **


	3. New Arrangements

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender**

**AN: Well hello again. Unfortunately this is not a new update. This is a revision of chapter three, which I have renamed. **

**Many thanks to the lovely Kimberly T for giving me some excellent advice on how to improve this chapter. There are many changes to this chapter so you might want to take a look. **

**Also I have drawn some fan art for this story. Yeah…I have drawn what I imagine Katara to look like after the events of the previous chapter (which also has smaller modifications that I recommend you look at to be able to understand this a bit better). **

**Here's the link /d5h00nz**

**I am dedicating this new and improved chapter to Kimberly T for such wonderful help. **

**I now give you Chapter Three!**

**OoOoOoOoOo**

Katara laid her hand on the brown water skin, quickly twisting the lid off.

Nothing, of course it was empty. She hadn't reached the river before being attacked. She began to panic. Prince Zuko would eventually burn the whole hut down and she had no water. She had to think of something. She ran toward a collection of assorted pots and jars, searching for something to quench the flame.

Behind her, Aang called out to Zuko across the room, "Zuko, we've got to leave. Zhao's coming!"

Katara turned her head around and blatantly stared at the airbender. Aang talking to Zuko casually? Well not necessarily casually since he was informing him of the slimy, intimidating admiral coming after them. But, what was going on?

Zuko made no indication that he had heard Aang's warning, so Aang spoke louder, his tone far more urgent than before, "Zuko, can you hear me? We need to leave. Zhao is coming."

Zuko slowly turned toward the Avatar and his companion. To Katara's surprise, gone was his typical hateful glower. In its place was the sad eyes and blank expression of one who had been broken, "It doesn't matter anymore," he said his voice, a hollow shell of what Katara was accustomed to, "Let him come."

Aang stepped forward, "Zuko, I can understand if you're upset but you can't stay here. I'm not going to let you die in here."

Zuko shook his head and turned back to the burning tree, "Losing my life means nothing to me."

The whole situation was nothing short of absolutely bizarre to Katara. Who was this person posing as the Fire Nation Prince? The boy standing before them had not a drip of irritating arrogance or pride. Who was this broken down man?

She coughed as the dark smoke; surrounding the hut entered her lungs. The fire had spread. Katara jumped away as the table beside her was licked by the flames.

She had to do something quickly. They needed to get out of here and Aang wouldn't leave without Zuko. Convincing him seemed completely out of the question, and she had no water to quench the flames. So she did the first thing that came to her mind.

She took hold of the largest clay pot on the burning table threw it straight at the back of the prince's head.

OoOoOo

Katara sighed dejectedly as she picked up one of the mirrors Momo had retrieved for them.

Half of her hair was gone.

Her chocolate brown tresses were now reduced to a frizzy mess, reaching only to the base of her neck. She lifted the mirror of the ground and with a quick jab, broke it onto the stone floor. She carefully picked up one of the larger broken pieces and held them to her untied hair loopies.

"Well, might as well make it even," she said cutting the small strands of hair.

Beside her, Sokka was getting close to hysterical, a fluffy white cat in his arms.

"What is going on?!"

"We'll tell you later." Katara said simply. She finished cutting the remainders of her bun. She strung a bead into her hair to replace her hair loopies. Standing up, she addressed Sokka, "Right now we need to wake up Appa and get out of here."

"But, why?"

"Now!" she said firmly.

She climbed up to the large saddle resting on the top of the bison's back, her sleeping bag in her arms. Aang followed behind, dragging Zuko with him. Sokka confusedly gathered his belongings and followed suit.

Katara spread out her sleeping bag inside the saddle and promptly fell into it. Aang pat Appa's head and readied the reigns, before sitting down on the bison's head.

Sokka turned to Aang, a look of absolute bewilderment on his face. Aang nodded, "I'll tell you what happened," he said gesturing for Sokka to sit down beside him.

OoOoOo

Zuko was extremely frustrated that he yet again had woken up in unfamiliar surroundings.

At least the first time he had woken up in a cot. This time he found himself in the dirt, beside a pond, lying in a ridiculous position, a large ball of fur sleeping on his bare chest. He lifted the cat off him and onto the ground as he stood up.

And fell into the dirt on his buttocks.

He lowered his eyebrows in confusion. What was happening? Why did his head hurt so much?

"Argh!" shouted a voice nearby.

Zuko turned his head to see the Water Tribe boy, knee deep in the pond, staring intently into the depths below.

"It's taunting me," he said through gritted teeth.

Zuko wondered at that moment whether the Water Tribe boy was more unhinged than he suspected.

Zuko's ponderings of the condition of Sokka were interrupted as Aang literally swooped in and sat beside him.

"Good morning!" he said cheerfully.

"Morning," Sokka grumbled, eyes still roaming the bottom of the pond.

Zuko did not reply but attempted to get back onto his feet. This time he was successful in standing upright, though he did feel a little dizzy. He turned to the Avatar.

"What did you do to me?!" he demanded.

"Saved your life, you're welcome," someone muttered darkly.

The waterbender, Katara was sitting on one of the large rocks surrounding the pond, sending Zuko a look of resentment. He returned her glare with one of his own.

"I didn't ask for you to save me," he said coldly.

There was the distinct slapping noise and a cry of fury as the jumping fish managed to escape Sokka's clutches.

"I could use some help!"

Katara hopped off the rock and onto the sand, removing her shoes she stepped into the pond to assist her brother, followed by an enthusiastic Aang.

Zuko stood there and watched the three children wade in the water, searching for the bothersome fish. To his surprise they began to splash each other as they looked. Soon they completely disregarded the fish and began an all-out splash war. The whole affair was silly, innocent and childish.

He had to get out of there.

Careful not to make a sound, he quickly grabbed one of the Water Tribe sleeping bags and swung it over his shoulder. Gingerly he stepped out of the camp.

"You'll pay for that Sok- Where are you going?"

Zuko froze. He made no move to face his confronters as he spoke, "I'm leaving."

To his utter annoyance, Katara laughed, "Of course you're not. You can barely walk."

"That has not stopped me before."

Zuko heard footsteps behind him and a moment later, the sleeping bag was removed from his shoulder.

"You were going to steal my sleeping bag!" shouted Sokka.

Zuko shrugged. Aang stepped forward, "You don't have to leave."

Zuko shook his head. "I have no desire to be in the company of my enemy."

"We don't have to be enemies. We could be friends."

Zuko turned around, "To befriend the Avatar would be to completely betray my country and its morals."

Aang opened his mouth to speak, when a loud roar echoed through the forest. He stepped away from Zuko and bolted toward the noise.

"Someone's being attacked by a platypusbear."

"Sure just run toward the scary roar," said Sokka, as Aang ran into the thicket of trees.

"We have to go help them!" Katara said, already taking a few hurried steps toward the roar.

Sokka gave his sister a look of utter aggravation. Muttering darkly, he followed Katara. Zuko merely stood there eyes on the Water Tribe siblings.

"You're really going to ignore a call for help and run off while we're gone?" Katara said, casting Zuko the dirtiest of looks.

Though Zuko would never admit it, the waterbender's intense gaze of disapproval intimidated him to a great extent. There was just this fire he could see in her eyes that reminded him of another look of disapproval that he had received far too often for his liking.

He exhaled and reluctantly followed the waterbender and her brother into the woods.

OoOoOo

It was the most bizarre thing Aang had seen in a long time.

Before him was a platypusbear, standing on his hind legs in all of his furry glory attacking an old man. That in itself wasn't really that bizarre. Platypusbears are known to attack humans from time to time.

But the old man was whistling.

A cheery grin was on the man's face as he moved from side to side to avoid the platypusbear, "Well hello there. Nice day isn't it?"

Aang cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, "Make noise or run off!"

The man chuckled as the platypus bear swung its arms at him, "Whoa, close one."

Behind him Aang heard three sets of running footsteps.

"Run downhill, then climb a tree," Katara called to the man.

"Then punch him in the bill," said Sokka.

The man shook his head, still smiling, "No need. It's going to be fine."

The man gracefully sat down in the grass as the platypuss bear swung it's paw yet again. Aang jumped of the rock he was standing on, landing in front of the man and facing the platypusbear, "Whoa there," he said to the platypusbear.

He straightened his posture and sent the greatest gust of wind he could muster at the platypusbear.

The platypusbear simply looked down at Aang as if nothing had happened. It raised its giant paw, ready to strike when-

A resounding 'ROAR!' was heard as Appa approached the platypusbear from behind. The platypussbear stood stalk still. Aang noticed the large creature shiver slightly as it quickly returned to standing on all fours and scurried into the river.

Aang hurried over to the old man, followed by Katara, Sokka and hesitantly Zuko.

Sokka picked up a large, spotted, oval object on the ground, that Aang was sure he hadn't seen before, "Mhm Lunch!," he said examining the egg.

Zuko watched the old man curiously, as he stood up, "Lucky for you we came along."

The man walked over to them, "Thanks, but everything was already under control. Not to worry. Aunt Wu predicted I'd have a safe journey."

"Aunt who?" asked Aang.

The man smiled, "No, Aunt Wu, the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice, knowing your future."

Katara's eyes went wide as Sokka and Zuko both rolled their eyes, "Wow it must be. That explains why you were so calm."

Sokka made an exasperated face at the man, "But the fortuneteller was wrong. You didn't have a safe journey you were almost killed."

The man returned Sokka's face with one that a parent might give to an ignorant child, "But I wasn't," He addressed Aang and Katara, "Have a good one."

He walked a few steps before stopping. He turned around, a wrapped package in his hands, "Oh! And Aunt Wu said if I met any travelers, to give them this," he said, handing the package to Aang."

The four watched as the man continued to walk away into the forest.

Katara looked from the three boys to the place where the man had disappeared into the woods, "Maybe we should go see Aunt Wu and learn our fortune. It could be fun."

"Fortunetelling is nonsense," said Sokka and Zuko in unison. They looked to each other suspiciously and turned away again.

Aang smiled upon ripping the wrapped paper, "What do you know, an umbrella."

Suddenly thunder crashed and rain began to pour onto them. Katara waterbended the water off her and hurried under the umbrella.

"That proves it!" Katara claimed.

"No it doesn't" Sokka said grumpily, as he attempted to cover himself with the large egg, "You can't really tell the future."

"I guess you're not really getting wet then," Katara replied coolly.

As Katara and Sokka began bickering, Aang looked thoughtfully at Zuko.

"You could come with us. You could see what Aunt Wu has to say about your future."

"I don't believe in that nonsense."

"We could get you some clothes too," He said smiling ruefully.

Zuko inspected himself head to toe. He had no shoes, no coat, and no shirt. He was dressed only in his black pants. He would most likely catch attention to himself.

He sighed, "I suppose I am in need of clothes."

Aang smiled, "Great!" he gestured toward the umbrella, "Come under the umbrella."

Zuko nodded reluctantly and walked under the umbrella.

OoOoOo

**Well there you have it folks. I hope you liked the changes I made to this chapter!**

**I still need a full time beta, so please PM your recommendations or requests to beta for me if you have them!**

**Next Chapter: The Gaang will visit the fortuneteller's village, Aang will be aloof, Sokka and Zuko will be skeptical, many futures will be predicted and someone will make a reappearance.**

**Hugs Butterfly Kisses!**

**-MaddyTheFangirl**


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